Dear Dance Friends,
On Friday, when our local schools announced they would be closing for several weeks, I closed the shop. My initial thoughts were that I would keep the shop closed, except for shopping appointments, pointe shoe fittings, small group studio rentals and online shopping.
However, as the news of the need to slow the exponential growth of the virus crisis continues, I have decided that more drastic measures need to be taken for our non-essential (gasp, I can't believe I'm saying this) business.
Please continue reading to see our plans and our thoughts about helping your local small businesses.
Plans for the next few weeks
Passport Days
If you have been participating in our Passport Days, please keep your passport. We will continue where we left off when the crisis passes and you will still have your chance to finish collecting stamps for your $20 leotard choice. We still have several really fun days planned and you won't miss anything.
In-person Shopping
We will not be having regular shop hours until this crisis situation stabilizes. Unfortunately, we do not feel we can serve you well in the shop and do our best to practice social distancing at the same time. In-person shopping will be suspended, for now.
We have a few special orders that are going to arrive in the next few weeks. I will contact these customers and arrange an appointment for curbside pickup.
Online Shopping
As long as people are still allowed to leave their home properties, online orders can be shipped. We will be offering free USPS shipping on all domestic shipments on purchases ($75 or more) from now through the end of April.
Want some personal shopper assistance with your online purchase? This is something we are happy to offer now and always! That is the beauty of shopping online with a small local retailer. We are always happy to help you navigate your online shopping. Let us know how we can help!
We understand that dancewear is not a top need during this global crisis. However, if you are making online dancewear purchases, I hope you consider purchasing from small dancewear businesses instead of large discount retailers.
Pointe Shoe Fittings
This is a tough one! At a time when we are all going to have more time on our hands, one-on-one appointments would be a great way to fill time. A few days ago, I thought I would continue with pointe shoe fittings during this time. However, for your health, for my health, for the health of others that will be affected by exponential spread of the virus, we are going to pause on pointe shoe appointments, too.
Now, could we set up a video conference call and do some consulting about current pointe shoes? You bet! Technology can allow us to do so much! If you would like to get some advice about your current pointe shoes, we can set up a free consult appointment. Maybe just a few tweaks with your comfort aids are needed and I can send you some options. Maybe a new pair is needed and I can take some notes about your unique situation to streamline your appointment when we can meet in person again. Let me know if you want to give it a try!
Studio Rentals
We are suspending all group classes in the studios for a few weeks.
The studios will be available to rent for individuals interested in a professional studio to dance, practice solos, teach an online class, take photos, etc. Rentals will be spaced so that rental clients will not overlap in studio transition and we have time to wipe down surfaces before the next client.
Customer Engagement
As soon as I get a few other tasks completed (someone has to get the taxes done), I'll be working on something lighthearted for dancers to engage with us, other dancers, information about dance resources, etc. Stay tuned for details.
Small Business Support
I understand that dancewear will not be a priority right now. For your purchases that are priorities in the next few weeks, I hope you look for ways to support your local small businesses. A lot of small businesses will not recover from this crisis and will not reopen. Any support you can offer goes a long way to small business survival right now.
Your dance studios are also local small businesses. I've been a part of a few discussions with local studio owners. Dancers are a lucky group! The care and thought that is going into how your studio owners are approaching this crisis is amazing! Please be patient and continue to support your local dance community. ❤️❤️❤️
Personal Plans
Having a small business means I always have lots of administrative work I can do from home. Taxes need to get done. I will have time to cook for my family the next few weeks. I've reached out to my older neighbors to offer to grocery shop and take a walk (while staying 6 ft apart). Feel free to reach out if you are feeling lonely.
Thanks for spending your time reading our plans for the next few weeks. Let me know if I can help remotely with things you need help with, dancewear or otherwise. We have a great dance community and we can get through this together.
Stay well, dance friends,
Jennifer